The Governor and His Children
by elledottore
Summary: Governor Frexspar Thropp will do anything for his disabled daughter, Nessarose, but at what cost to his other two children?
1. Introduction

**Hello! New story!**

 **Yeah, it seems like Telling Her Story is going the way of Memories and my sequel to The Little Witch. C'est la vie.**

 **But this story was inspired by my new favorite TV show, Speechless. It's basically about a family with a son who has CP and a tough as nails mom who fights for him. It's awesome. But as I was watching it one day, I thought, "I bet Frex was just as fierce as Maya when Nessa was in grade school." The comparisons aren't perfect: Maya doesn't blame JJ's disability on either of her other children, Nessa isn't a straight up jerk like JJ. But it was enough to form this plot bunny.**

 **This will mostly take place pre-Shiz, but some of your other favorite characters may appear in flash forwards.**

 **And yeah, this has Shell. Because I like Shell.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

"Everybody UP!" Governor Frexspar Thropp barked as he entered his children's section of Colwin Grounds. "We're going to Lolli's for breakfast. They're having a four for one sale on pancakes. I don't want to miss that!"

Twelve year old Shell was the first to emerge from his room. "What's going on, Father?" he asked sleepily.

"We're going out for breakfast! There's a sale. Get dressed; it ends at nine." Frex then banged on his eldest daughter's door. "Elphaba! Up! Now! And get your sister up!"

"We're rich," Shell pointed out. "We don't need to take advantage of a sale."

Just then, Elphaba's door opened and she poked her head out, still looking half asleep. "What in Oz is going on?" she asked, mostly to Shell.

"Father has decided that he, one of the wealthiest men in Munchkinland, needs to take advantage of a restaurant sale this morning," Shell informed her.

"Oh." After taking a deep breath, Elphaba went into her sister's room. "Nessa! I have to get you up for reasons that I will let Father explain to you so you can hate him and not me."

Fifteen clock ticks later, amazingly, all four members of the Thropp family were dressed and outside the house. A carriage was ready to go out front, but Frex was still trying to get Nessa's wheelchair into the back of it. Nessa, meanwhile, was in Elphaba's arms, and Shell was standing around awkwardly. After watching his father struggle for a bit, Shell finally said, "Father, can I please go and wake up Nanny? Fabala's arms look like they're about to snap off."

"Thanks for being so concerned about me falling," Nessa piped up.

Shell ignored her. "Or I could help you. You never let me help!"

"There's no time to get Nanny," Frex said with a grunt. "And you know you're not allowed to touch your sister's equipment until you're sixteen."

"Fabala literally turned sixteen FOUR MONTHS AGO, and she's been helping Nessa forever!"

"That's … a different … matter!" Frex said between pushes. "Alright, it's in there. Everybody in."

So they all piled into the carriage, and, since he didn't want to bother with servants that morning, Frex took the reins himself. The horses started cantering with a jolt, and they were off. Unfortunately, Frex was not a very experienced driver, so there were several moments when Elphaba, Nessa, and Shell were sure they were going to end up in a ditch.

"Ow!" Nessa exclaimed after a particularly sharp turn. "I just hit my head against the window! Father, you really need to slow down."

"We're almost there, pet, don't worry," Frex reassured her. "And when we get there, we're going to have the best, cheapest breakfast ever. I guarantee it."

"Again, we don't need a cheap breakfast!" Shell said for what seemed like the one hundredth time that morning. "We're not some poor farming family; we're the First Family of Munchkinland!"

"Shut up about that!" Elphaba shouted, exasperated. "Father doesn't care about that, and I feel like I'm about to vomit!"

Luckily, they got to Lolli's without Elphaba throwing up or Frex crashing the carriage. Frex parked right in front of the restaurant and got out. As he was going to the back to get Nessa's chair, an old woman got out of the nearby carriage and went over to him. "Excuse me, only the handicapped are supposed to park here," she said disapprovingly.

Frex said nothing as he retrieved Nessa's wheelchair and placed it near the door of the carriage. He got his satisfaction when Elphaba came out of the carriage with Nessa, and the old woman's mouth dropped. "I'm sorry, miss, you were saying?" he said, unable to resist smiling a little. "This is my daughter; she's all there upstairs, and she doesn't like it when people stare at her. You see, my poor Nessa's spinal cord was injured when she was born …"

"Father," Nessa said quietly, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, and I've always been green," Elphaba added, seeing that the old woman's bewildered gaze was on her now.

"And I'm just Shell," Shell said, stepping down from the carriage. "We just drove from our mansion to get a discounted breakfast, when one of us is the governor of Munchkinland, and another one of us is the future governor of Munchkinland."

Frex grabbed Shell by the scruff of his neck. "Let's go get that discounted breakfast, son."

 **Longer chapters coming soon! Hope you liked it!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


	2. First Day of School

**Hello! Chapter II here!**

 **Gothic Butterfly, in America, Speechless comes on at 8:30 Eastern Time on Wednesday nights on ABC. I don't know if you have ABC down under, but just so you know.** **Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Two weeks after Frex's irresistible discounted breakfast, the new school year started. Shell was going into his second year of intermediate school, Elphaba was beginning her third year of upper school, and Nessa was starting her first year of upper school. This was an especially big change for Nessa, as both her lower and intermediate schools had been exclusively for students with disabilities. Now she would be going to the same school as her sister, Restwater Upper School, and to say that Frex was worried would be putting it lightly.

"Bad news, pet," Frex said, coming into Nessa's room a few days before school was to start. "I just went by your new school, and they told me that Elphaba will not be allowed to assist you at school. They've already hired some woman from some agency, and I really wish I could abuse my powers as governor and arrest them, but instead I'm just going to sue them …"

"Father," Nessa cut him off. "Don't sue. Please. I think there's a good reason Fabala isn't allowed to help me. We're in different years. She won't have time. But really, I'm fine with whoever the school has picked for me."

"You sure?"  
She nodded. "Yeah."

The first day of school came, and as usual, it was a rush to get out the door at Colwin Grounds. Nanny, in her own opinion, almost had a heart attack trying to make breakfast, and more importantly, getting all of Melena's precious children to eat it in a timely fashion. After breakfast, all four Thropps headed out, thankfully with a professional driver at the reins instead of Frex. Shell was dropped off first.

"Have a good day, son," Frex said as Shell gathered his things.

"I will, Father."

"Don't do anything stupid," Elphaba couldn't resist adding.

Shell lightly hit her with his book bag. "Shut up." Then he departed the carriage with a general, "Bye!"

Not too long after that, they arrived at Restwater Upper School. After the three of them unloaded, they were met by the principal, Mr. Cestalla. "Oh, it's the Thropps!" he said excitedly. He shook Frex's hand vigorously. "Delighted to meet you, Mr. Governor! I'm Mr. Cestalla, principal here at Restwater. And there's Restwater Upper's superstar, Elphaba! It's wonderful to have you back! You know, Mr. Governor, you should be very proud of this one here. Top of her class two years in a row! And that streak will continue this year, right Elphaba?"

"You know I always do my best, Principal Cestalla," Elphaba said, not wanting to look at her father at that particular moment.

"That's the spirit, kid! But who is this? Restwater's newest student, Nessarose! Welcome! We're so excited to have you!"

Nessa smiled nervously. It was then that Elphaba decided to extricate herself from the conversation so she wouldn't have to witness the inevitable clash between her father and Mr. Cestalla. "Well, I should probably get to first hour," she said. "Good luck, Nessa. Hopefully I'll see you later today."

"Elphaba," Frex called in a voice that Elphaba knew meant she had to turn around and listen closely. He leaned into her. "None of … you know."

She nodded. "I know. Bye, Father." And after a final affectionate pat on Nessa's shoulder, she disappeared into the mass of students pouring through the school doors.

"So, Mr. Cestalla," Frex began. "Your staff told me that you had an aide for Nessa."

"Yes, I do!" Mr. Cestalla exclaimed triumphantly. "She should be here any minute … Ah! Speak of Kumbrecia! There she is! Gawnette! Over here!" Frex and Nessa turned to see a young woman in a shockingly short skirt walking over to them. "Mr. Governor, Nessarose, this is Gawnette. She's from Abilify, the best agency in Munchkinland!"

"Hi, it's lovely to meet you!" Nessa greeted her, finally overcoming her shyness. "Please, call me Nessa."

"Yeah, hi," Gawnette responded, sounding very disinterested. "Just call me Gawnette; I don't have a nickname or anything."

"Alright, we've got an aide," Frex said, trying to reassure himself that Gawnette was going to properly take care of his daughter. "Now, where's your wheelchair ramp?"

"Right this way," Mr. Cestalla said. He led Frex, Nessa, and Gawnette around to the side of the school, where there was a side door that had a little ramp leading up to it. It didn't have the usual safety rails on the sides. It looked to Frex like …

"A garbage ramp?!" he asked, outraged.

"I-It's not just a garbage ramp," Mr. Cestalla said nervously.

"No, it's a garbage-and-my-daughter ramp!"

"I-It's acceptable alternate access …" The principal silently prayed to the Unnamed God that he wouldn't be arrested on the spot.

Just then, the school janitor came down the ramp, pushing a dumpster full of trash. Frex jumped at the opportunity. "Oh, look who's coming down the 'alternate access' ramp now! It's the mayor of Ovvels, Quazos Galleman!" He reached into the dumpster and pretended to shake hands. "Enchanted, Mr. Mayor! How do you do?"

"What's happening?" the janitor asked, very confused.

"I'd like to play a little game," Frex announced. "It's called 'Trash or Person.'"

"Father, no," Nessa groaned.

Frex started rummaging through the dumpster. "Let's see, disposable milk cup, trash or person?" When he got no response from his audience, he answered himself. "It's trash! Now, Mr. Cestalla, are you trash or are you a person?"

"Um …"

"You're a person, Mr. Cestalla," the janitor said. "Of course you're a person."

"I'll tell the senate that Restwater Upper School needs money for a proper ramp," Frex concluded. He kissed Nessa's cheek. "Have a good day, pet."

Little did any of them know that Elphaba was watching all this from the second story window overlooking the ramp. She couldn't help but shake her head. _Everyone at this school will hate Father by the end of the year._

She was brought out of her thoughts by an unfortunately familiar voice. "Artichoke!" She turned to see Sirah, the leader of the school's most exclusive clique.

"Oh, let me guess," Elphaba said. "I dress like an undertaker, I must be part Snake because I'm green, and people would actually like me if I wasn't so weird all the time."

Sirah was very much taken aback. "W-Well, yeah."

"Yeah, Sirah, we've been doing this since primary school. I kind of know your routine with me. You might want to think about getting a new one. Just some advice." Then Elphaba continued walking to her first class, leaving Sirah bewildered.

 _"_ _Oh my Oz, you should totally try that with Pfannee and ShenShen!" Galinda squealed. That night, the girls were up late, swapping stories from their grade school days._

 _"_ _Yeah, the only problem is, Pfannee and ShenShen are a little smarter than Sirah was," Elphaba pointed out. "I would just be giving them ideas."_

 _Galinda giggled in agreement._

Meanwhile, Nessa and Gawnette arrived in Nessa's first hour class, history. As soon as they entered the classroom, the teacher, Mr. Joule, cried out, "There she is! Everyone, give Nessarose a hand!" The whole class got to its feet, clapping as if Nessa had just ended world hunger. It made her extremely uncomfortable, and even more so when Mr. Joule said, "Wait! Standing is insensitive! Everybody sit!"

Most of the class obeyed, except for one boy who called out, "Nessa! Look! I made you this!" He pulled a sign from his bag that read: "NESSAROSE FOR PRESIDENT." The boy looked quite proud of himself.

Nessa struggled to say something that wouldn't be blatantly rude. "I'm not running for student council president!" she finally managed to say. "I'm going to be governor over all of you one day!" She rolled over to an empty desk. "Now, can I please learn history like a normal person?"

"I'll be right outside if you need me," Gawnette said. _Great, she's not a hoverer,_ Nessa thought. She settled in for a good history lesson.

Three hours later, over at Restwater Intermediate School, it was Shell's lunch hour, and he couldn't find a seat in the cafeteria. He hated the cafeteria anyway. So he managed to slip out without any teachers noticing. He wandered about the school, looking for a place to eat, until he found a classroom door with a note on it which boasted that a biology club met there during fourth hour. _This is fourth hour!_ Shell had always had a fascination with biology even since he was a toddler, a passion born out of trying to figure out why his sisters had their respective abnormalities.

Shell entered the classroom to find a lone girl looking through a microscope. "Hi," he said. "I'm … um … looking for the biology club."

"You found her," the girl said with a shy smile. "I'm Tilla."

Shell shook her hand. "I'm Shell. Nice to meet you. So, what are we looking at here?"

"Oh, I was just observing a culture of euglena. They really fascinate me because they can both-…"

"Perform photosynthesis and cellular respiration! I know, that fascinates me too!" As Shell moved over to look through the microscope, he couldn't help but think, _Wow, Tilla's pretty. This could into something!_

But back at the upper school, Nessa was not so happy. She had to use the bathroom, and Gawnette was nowhere to be found.

 **And that's all for now!**

 **Thanks for reading!** **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


	3. Nanny Puts Her Foot Down

Chapter 3

Nessarose desperately roamed the halls of the school, knowing full well she could get into huge trouble for doing so. But she reasoned with herself that she had a good excuse: she had go to the bathroom and the person who was supposed to take care of that was missing in action. Once she realized that finding Gawnette was unlikely, she thought about looking for Elphaba, but Elphaba was most likely in class. So there was only one other option.

She would have to go to the bathroom by herself.

That was a daunting thought. Nessa was good at most transfers, but transferring to the toilet was always the hardest due to wardrobe complications. But she would have to do it, or else she would have an embarrassing mess on her hands, which definitely did not befit the future governor of Munchkinland.

Nessa entered the girls' restroom and thanked the Unnamed God that it was empty. She went into the handicapped stall and locked the door behind her. She took a deep breath. _I can do this. Not only that, I_ _have_ _to do this. Let's go._ With some effort, she pulled up her skirt and pulled down her stockings while she was still in her chair. Then, she grabbed the bar, stood up, and swung over to the toilet. She sighed in relief as she did her business. _Mission accomplished._

Except not quite. She still had to transfer back to her chair. So, with another deep breath, she tried to swing back over to her wheelchair, but as she swung, the chair moved away from her, and down she went. After saying a word that she knew her father would not have approved of, she looked over at her chair, and realized she had forgotten to lock the brakes. _Stupid, Nessa!_ Out of options, she desperately called out, "Help!" But there was no answer because the bathroom was empty. _Duh._ She was just about to completely despair when she heard footsteps coming into the bathroom. "Hello! I need help!"

"Nessa?" _Fabala! Thank Oz!_

"Fabala! Thank Oz you're here! I was trying to get back in my chair and I fell! So I need a little help."

Nessa heard Elphaba sigh. "Sweet Lurline. Alright, hang on, Nessa." Elphaba tried to open the stall door, and after realizing it was locked, resorted to crawling in on her hands and knees. "Oz, Nessa, you had to lock the door!"

"I wanted privacy!" Nessa protested.

"Well, privacy could have landed you on the floor for hours!" Elphaba groaned as she lifted Nessa off the floor. Once Nessa was safely back in her chair, Elphaba finally thought to ask, "Where's your aide, what's-her-face? Gawnette! Where's Gawnette? Isn't she supposed to help you with things like this?"

"In theory," Nessa agreed. "I couldn't find her."

"You couldn't find her?! Well, I'm gonna find her! And I'll tell her that if she doesn't do her job, she's gonna be-…" Elphaba swallowed, and stopped herself from saying what she had been about to say. "Arrested. I'm sure I could persuade Father to arrest her."

Nessa sighed in exasperation. "Fabala, no. She didn't do anything illegal; she just did something stupid." As she wheeled out of the stall, she shook her head. "I swear, Fabala, I don't know why Father ever doubts that you're his daughter."

That afternoon, when Frex heard that Nessa had been forced to try to use the bathroom by herself, he was just as outraged as the sisters had thought he would be. "I'm glad you weren't hurt, Nessa, but I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen again," Frex declared. Just then, Gawnette walked up to them with an innocent look on her face, but Frex was having none of it. "You! Don't even try to tell me that Nessa had a good day! She fell over in a bathroom, so she obviously did not have a good day. You're fired!"

"Wha?" Gawnette asked, sounding confused.

"'Whaaaaaa?'" Frex repeated, mocking her. "You sound like you've been snorting Quadling grass! So you've been high while working with my daughter! Or, should I say, not working with my daughter! Get out of my sight!" As Gawnette hurried away, Frex turned to Elphaba. "I really wish you were allowed to help your sister in school."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Elphaba said, smiling a little.

Back at Colwin Grounds, Elphaba went into Shell's room to "borrow" a pen (Shell had too many pens in Elphaba's opinion, so she almost never returned the pens she borrowed) to find him drawing what looked like a floor plan. Shell abruptly looked up from his work. "Hi, Fabala!"

"That does not look like homework," Elphaba told him.

"You're right; it's not," Shell admitted. "It's a floor plan of my school. This line is my class schedule, and this line is Tilla's class schedule. I broke into the office after school and memorized her schedule. I'm trying to find an opportunity to talk to her."

"Who's Tilla?"

Shell started gushing. "She's this really pretty girl who runs the biology club, and we're the only members, and she's so smart, and she doesn't think I'm weird!"

Elphaba snorted. "Wait till she gets to know you." She grabbed a pen and pointed at the floor plan with it. "And shred that. It's creepy." And then she walked briskly out of the room.

"Fabala!" Shell called after her. "Give me back my pen, Fabala!" But of course, she didn't. She never did.

Meanwhile, Frex was ranting to Nanny about the day. He didn't like to talk to Nanny often, as she was a painful reminder of Melena, but she was the only adult servant at Colwin Grounds who he felt really listened to him. And sure enough, she listened as he ranted about how awful Gawnette was, and how awful the school was. "That's it, I'm moving the capital to the Pine Barren," Frex decided. "I'll be closer to another group of my constituents, and we can get a better situation for Nessa."

"No, you're not," Nanny said bluntly. "Frex, don't be stupid. What about Elphaba and Shell? They're your children too. What you're planning to do would rock their worlds. Not to mention the possible political consequences."

"I can deal with whatever political consequences might arise," Frex insisted. "As for Elphaba and Shell, I trust that they both have the maturity to deal with this."

"Frex, Frex, listen to Nanny." She grabbed both his arms and looked him right in the face. "You fight and fight to make sure Nessa has a normal life. Elphaba and Shell deserve that too." Nanny stood up with authority. "I will assist Nessa in school."

And Frex knew he couldn't argue with that.


	4. Frex Argues with Himself

Chapter 4

The next day, Nanny accompanied the Thropp family on the carriage ride to school, much to Frex's reluctance. He didn't exactly distrust Nanny; he knew she wouldn't let anything happen to Nessa. But he was a little uncomfortable with Nanny because he didn't think she was as good a caretaker as Elphaba, and she was a reminder of Melena. However, since Nessa seemed happy with the arrangement, he decided to reserve judgment.

Like the day before, Shell was dropped off before his sisters, and Elphaba had a different parting message for him. "Don't stalk that poor Tilla girl," she told him as he prepared to leave the carriage. "Not unless you want to get a restraining order. That'd be a fun news story!"

Shell rolled his eyes. "Shut it, Fabala. That's not gonna happen. Trust me, she'll be my girlfriend in no time."

Elphaba scoffed. "Ha! I highly doubt that." Shell glared at her as he departed the carriage. As he made his way toward the school building, he made up his mind that his first girlfriend would be Tilla, and his relationship with her would be perfect, no matter how many snide remarks his sister made about it.

Soon after that, the rest of the family arrived at Restwater Upper School. Elphaba went straight to her first hour class, but Frex took Nessa and Nanny to Mr. Cestalla's office. Nanny and Nessa both secretly felt sorry for the principal when they saw the terrified look on his face at Frex barging in on him. Frex, however, had no sympathy for him. "The girl you hired to take care of my daughter was atrocious," he stated bluntly. "So, I have taken it upon myself to dismiss her and replace her with our family nanny, Cattery Sponge. She starts today."

"I didn't even know that was your name," Nessa muttered to Nanny.

"Not to you it isn't, duckie," Nanny said, quickly ending that matter.

But, to everyone's surprise, especially Frex's, Mr. Cestalla exclaimed happily, "Oh, that sounds wonderful! I knew there was something off about that Gawnette! Well, Ms. Sponge, welcome to the Restwater Upper School family! We're so excited to have you!"

"Do you not understand how these things go?" Frex asked. "You're supposed to push back; that way we owe you something. Watch, for next time." He cleared his throat. "'You're going to hire our nanny.' 'As an aide? Preposterous!' 'It's my decision; it's my daughter.' 'It's my school!' 'Well, it won't be when my lawyers are done with you.' 'So you're going to sue me now? Alright, fine! I approve, but only on a trial basis. And do not mistake my kindness for weakness, because you are not the only one with lawyers, you son of a bitch!' See? Something like that."

Mr. Cestalla hastily scribbled down what he could. "'Trial basis …' This is so informative! Thank you, Your Governorship!"

Meanwhile, over at the intermediate school, Shell was overjoyed to run into Tilla on the way to homeroom. "Tilla!" he greeted her. "Hi! Can't wait for biology club later today!"

"Oh, me neither!" she agreed. "It's Shell, right?"

 _She remembers my name!_ "Yeah! Shell! Well, my full name is Sheltergod, but literally no one calls me that. My father's kind of religious. He's the governor, Frexspar Thropp. But I'm not going to be governor when he dies; my sister Nessa is, 'cause she's older than me, but she's not the oldest in our family. That's my other sister Elphaba, and she's not going to be governor because our father kind of hates her because she's green-…"

"Wait," Tilla interrupted. "Your sister is green?"

 _Ugh, I babbled. Why do I always babble in these types of situations?_ "Yeah, no one knows why. She was just born like that. That's what got me into biology in fact, trying to figure out why Fabala was green."

Shell was pleased to see that Tilla looked at least a little intrigued. "Did you?"

"I haven't yet. For a while, I thought maybe she had chlorophyll in her skin, but when I asked her if she photosynthesized, which was a big word for me at the time (I was eight), all I got was a slap in the face and, 'Shell, how could you be so incredibly stupid?!'" Shell was overjoyed when Tilla laughed at that. Everything was going well so far …

Three hours later, Nessa was done with her morning classes and was headed to lunch, with Nanny in tow. "Well, that wasn't half bad," Nanny mused. "Just sitting with you in class like that. You know, Nanny never made it to upper school, so this is as much my education as it is yours. Will we see Fabala at lunch?"

"No, we won't," Nessa answered. "Fabala's a third year, so she has lunch in two hours."

"Sweet Lurline! That means she doesn't eat until one! How does she survive?" Nessa giggled, and Nanny continued, "Now, when I was in primary school, we all had lunch at the same time: high noon."

"I think that would cause a riot at this school."

After school, Frex was a little alarmed when only Elphaba and Shell arrived back at Colwin Grounds. His inquiry to Elphaba about the whereabouts of her sister was only met with a shrug, and he was about to completely panic when the servant who had driven Elphaba and Shell home informed him that Nessa had decided to stay after school to watch the handball team practice. He breathed a sigh of relief. _Just so long as she's home for physical therapy._ His blood pressure spiked once again, however, when later he looked out the window to see Elphaba raking some old leaves from the previous autumn in the front courtyard. He rushed outside. "Elphaba!" he called, immediately making her stop raking. "Mayor Bfee just moved across the street, and we can't let him see us cleaning up. Or our staff cleaning up. It sets a precedent."

"What precedent?" Elphaba asked.

"That we clean up. Look, you're of an age, I'm gonna say sixteen, where you're old enough to know how this family works. You know, because of your sister, we have extra … challenges, so sometimes the little things fall through the cracks. Lawns don't get cut, rooms don't get repainted, Shell still has clothes he was wearing two years ago, your mother's garden hasn't been touched at all probably since she died … We're idiots, Fabala." Just then, Frex groaned as he saw Mayor Bfee walking across the road and onto their courtyard. "Wonderful. Speak of Kumbrecia."

"Governor Frexspar!" Mayor Bfee exclaimed happily. "Hello neighbor! Oz, it is so splendified that we live so close to one another! Working together to make Restwater a better place, am I right?"

"Certainly," Frex said stiffly. "That's the main reason politicians like us exist in the first place. Um, may I present my eldest daughter? This is Elphaba."

Bfee shook Elphaba's hand after only a moment's hesitation. "Enchanted, Miss Elphaba. I have a son about your age, you know. But you probably won't see him often. We pulled him out of school because of a bullying problem, and anyway Boq's a very shy kid. Likes to keep to himself. Anyway, my wife made one of her famous corn pies for you all. I tried to tell her that technically you're supposed to make something for us, but she insisted. So here you are." Bfee handed the corn pie to Elphaba, who immediately ate a whole slice, and then started working on another one. "Wow, she's really eating it fast," Bfee commented to Frex. "You know, it's supposed to be savored."

Nessa and Nanny had still not arrived home when Nessa's physical therapist showed up.


	5. Shell Does Physical Therapy

**Hello all! Here's Chapter V!**

 **Shameless plug: I am now alternating another story with this one – IT in Oz. Go check it out!**

 **Also here's my cast list:**

 **Frex – Sean McCourt**

 **Elphaba – Christine Dwyer**

 **Nessa – Emily Ferranti**

 **Shell – Mason Cook**

 **Nanny – Olga Merediz**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Nessa and Nanny arrived at the handball field just as practice was starting. "Now, we can only stay for an hour, you know, duckie," Nanny reminded her young charge. "Your father told me that you have physical therapy this afternoon."

Nessa groaned; she had forgotten about PT. "Ugh. Right. But it's okay; I always miss them." To Nessa's recollection, she had never lied before in her life. But to her, physical therapy was an annoying obstacle that prevented her from doing what a normal girl her age would be doing: in this case, watching the school's most athletic (and handsome) boys do what they did best.

But Nanny saw right through her. "You are as bad a liar as your mother. But I pretended to believe your mother when she told me that it was just coincidentally her time of the month when the Maurgreve of Pertha's son was visiting Colwin Grounds, so I'm going to pretend to believe you too." She turned to watch the handball players. "Let's see what these young men have to offer! Oh, I am far too old to say something like that."

Meanwhile, back at Colwin Grounds, Frex was feeling what he had never thought he would feel: embarrassment because of his second daughter. "I am so sorry," he said to Nessa's new PT, Chillia. "Nessa usually never misses appointments. We just got our family nanny to be her full time aide, and … I have to believe she's okay."

"You know what, you're upset; I'll get out of your nose," Chillia said understandingly. "Just send me a check."

"A check? Why would I send you a check?"

Chillia smirked. "For my time, of course. And I took a train all the way from Center Munch."

"Oooh. You're a pushy little Munchkin, aren't you? Shell, get in here!" When Shell arrived in the drawing room a clock tick later, Frex said, "It's time for your physical therapy."

"Um … I'm not Nessa," Shell pointed out, a little confused. "I'm one of the other ones, remember?"

"Yeah, I know who you are. Your sister's nowhere to be found. We pay for physical therapy; we get physical therapy." As Frex left the drawing room, he demanded to Chillia, "Heal him."

Chillia was a little thrown at suddenly working with a different Thropp sibling, but she quickly adapted. She guided Shell to one side of the drawing room. "Okay, walk to the other side of the room for me. Just walk how you normally walk. No shame in not making it."

"I'm pretty sure I can make it," Shell said with a small smile. He started walking, proud of himself for tolerating his rich father's insane thriftiness, but he only got about halfway across the room before Chillia stopped him.

"Whoa, stop. Is that really how you normally walk?"

"Um … yeah."

Chillia shook her head. "No. This is all wrong. You're a petit walker. You pronate with a twenty degree kickout. I mean, it's fine for today, but is this your long time walking plan?"

Shell began to get a little worried. "Well, it was!"

"It's okay! We'll get you there! It'll take some work, but you can do it. Let's start over back at that wall."

Frex planted himself in the foyer to wait for Nessa and Nanny, and he waited about forty clock ticks, in which Chillia left, mumbling about Shell's walking, before Nessa and Nanny came in. "Hi, Father," Nessa said sheepishly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Frex almost yelled at Nanny. "I TOLD you that Nessa had physical therapy, and you bring her home almost TWO HOURS LATE! What is your explanation for this?! Actually, no, I don't wanna hear it! I can't believe I have to fire two people in two days!"

"Father, no!" Nessa exclaimed, suddenly feeling guilty. "Please don't fire Nanny. It wasn't her fault; it was mine. I persuaded her to stay after school so I could miss PT. You should punish me, not her. But you've never punished me before, so I'll help you. I'm grounded for two weeks, okay? I'm not allowed to leave the house except for school and chapel. Okay? I'll be in my room."

Once Nessa had rolled away, Nanny gave Frex a pointed look and said, "What can I say? She wants to be grounded. You better come through."

Later on that night, Frex heard a knock on his office door. "Enter," he said.

Elphaba practically bounded in, thinking she had finally done something that would make her father proud. "I pranked Mayor Bfee!" she declared happily. "I dumped all our weeds into his courtyard! Lousy neighbors, right?"

"No, Elphaba, you don't understand," Frex groaned. "We're not jerks; we're idiots. Idiots don't intentionally screw things up. They just can't help it because, well, they're idiots. Jerks, on the other hand, do things like dumping their weeds into their neighbors' courtyards."

Elphaba bit her lip, disappointed that her plan to please her father hadn't worked out. "So what do we do?"

Frex thought for a moment. "We can't let Bfee know we did this. So we have to make it look like we were pranked too …" A crazy idea came to him, an idea that initially seemed completely out of the question, but it was the best idea he had. "Alright, Elphaba, I have a solution. You're going to use your … talent to make more weeds, but this is the only time I'm letting you use it, understood?"

"Yes, Father," Elphaba said with a nod, trying to conceal how pleased she was. "I think I can do it."

As Frex passed Nessa's room on the way downstairs, he heard Nanny talking. "Okay, duckie, just hold onto my neck, that's it. Oooph! Lurline, you're getting heavy! We need to get you on a diet. The boys will like you better if you stay thin too, trust me." And then Frex heard Nessa laugh. Maybe Nanny wasn't so bad after all …

Elphaba wasn't exactly sure how she was going to make more weeds. She could count on one hand how many times she had used her magic on purpose, and if she was being perfectly honest with herself, she didn't really understand how her powers worked. But as she thought about it, she recalled a time in primary school when she had wished her teacher's hair would turn blue, and suddenly the teacher's hair was blue, and the whole class was in uproar. Was that really all she had to do? Just wish for weeds? Elphaba thought hard about how weeds grew: uncontrollably, as if they were the tumors of the garden, eventually taking away resources from flowers and trees and other "good" plants. _I want there to be weeds in this courtyard. Not out of control weeds, but just enough weeds to be a nuisance. Just starting to take over …_

Elphaba jumped when Frex put a hand on her shoulder. "You're one odd girl, you know that, right?" She looked down to see a crop of weeds growing at her feet. Frex smiled a little. "Come on. Let's pull these and put them where Bfee can see them."

The next day, Shell was thrillified to run into Tilla between third and fourth hour. "Tilla!" he greeted her happily. "Hi! How are you? I'm doing great, because yesterday I found out that the University of the Emerald City is doing some research on whether paramecia survive better in saltwater or fresh water! Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah, I heard about that study too!" Tilla said. "I'm really curious to hear what they find out!" Then, to Shell's utter delight, she indicated down the hall with her head. "Walk with me to class?"

"S-Sure." But Shell suddenly felt awkward walking. _Walk to the other side of the room for me. Walk how you normally walk. You're a petit walker. Stupid petit walker! You'll never amount to anything!_ "Oz, she didn't even say that last part!"

"Are you okay?" Tilla asked, concerned.

"Just go!" As Tilla just about ran to her next class, Shell called after her, "Why did you have to make me walk?!"

That afternoon, Elphaba was doing homework by the living room window, when she looked up to see something very interesting. "Father!" she called. When Frex came over, she pointed out the window. "Bronzeman's getting blamed for our weeds."

Frex looked out the window and saw Mayor Bfee and Senator Bronzeman in a heated argument across the way. He shrugged. "That's his problem. And it serves him right for voting against my health care bill."

Elphaba considered that for a moment. "But isn't that kind of a jerk move? I never thought someone else would get blamed for what we, I, did. And maybe if we bail him out, Bronzeman might change his mind about your bill."

Frex nodded. "Good point. Nessa! Shell! Nanny! Living room! Now!" When everyone arrived, he announced, "We're going across the road to make a statement to Mayor Bfee. Nobody embarrass me now, okay? And Nessa?"

"Yes, Father?"

"You're grounded. Officially."

Nessa lit up. "You mean that?"

"Absolutely, pet. Alright, people, let's move!"

The Thropps (plus Nanny) arrived at Mayor Bfee's house to find Bfee still arguing with Bronzeman. "I don't believe your gall!" Bfee yelled at Bronzeman. "It's bad enough that you throw these wild parties that my family and I can hear as we're trying to go to sleep, but now you dump your weeds into my yard like you think you're better than me!"

"I didn't do it!" Bronzeman insisted. "I was in Gilikin yesterday; just ask my wife!"

"Your third wife, you man-wh-…"

"Stop!" Frex ordered, coming up to the scene with his family. "It wasn't Bronzeman. It was us."

"You?" Bfee repeated, surprised.

Frex sighed. "I'm sorry. We just thought it would be a twisted way to welcome you to the neighborhood. You're a nice man, Bfee, so you deserve to know: we're lousy neighbors! We're not going to fix up our house or our yard. If we receive your packages, they will become our packages."

"And we're definitely going to swim in all of your pools," Nessa said.

"We already did," Elphaba added.

"I saw a snake in our backyard about two weeks ago," Shell said. "Where it is now is anyone's guess."

"L-Let me get this straight," Bfee stammered. "You pranked us and then tried to cover it up ('cause I see your little weed pile over there). You all are awful! And you know it! And you've decided you're not going to do anything about it. You people are jerks."

"No!" Elphaba insisted, putting her arm on her father's shoulder. "We're idiots."

As the Thropp family started heading back to Colwin Grounds, Nanny turned around and assured Bfee, "I just work here."

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


	6. A Weekend with the Thropps (Part I)

**Um, hi. I'm back. Sorry about that. I've been busy with finals and Christmas and stuff. Thanks for your patience.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

 _Shell raced across the grounds of Shiz University like a madman. His father and sister were having lunch, but Shell couldn't eat a thing, and he didn't understand how Nessa and Frex could eat when Fabala … He didn't want to think about what Fabala might be going through right then. Shell burst into Briscoe Hall, barely taking in the place he was going to be living during the following year, and demanded to the attendant in the lobby, "What room does Fiyero Tigulaar live in?"_

 _"_ _Um … do you know him, sir?" the attendant asked, confused._

 _Shell slammed his hands onto the attendant's desk. "Listen, pal, I am the only son of Governor Frexspar Thropp of Munchkinland! You're telling me where Tigulaar is, or I'm coming back here with the entire Munchkin army! Is that what you want?"_

 _"_ _N-No, sir," the attendant stuttered. "His Highness lives in Room 326."_

 _Shell climbed up three flights of stairs that would have probably made him faint at twelve, but at sixteen, all he could think about was his sister and what that bastard prince had just signed up to do to her. He arrived at Room 326 and banged on the door. "Open up, Tigulaar, you son of a bitch!" Shell yelled. "Come out and fight like a man!"_

 _Fiyero answered the door and started to ask, "Who are-?" He never got to finish that question on account of Shell punching him in the face, giving him a bloody nose. "Ow! Dude! What the hell? I don't even know you!" He retreated to his nightstand and put a handkerchief on his nose._

 _But Fiyero was not the only one who was injured. Shell shook out his hand to try and stop the pain. "That kinda hurt," he remarked._

 _"_ _Kinda?!" Fiyero repeated, his voice muffled a bit by the handkerchief. "What did I ever do to you?!"_

 _Shell strode boldly over to the prince. "I'm Shell Thropp, asshole! And you just signed up to join THE GALE FORCE! As in, the organization whose new mission is to HUNT AND KILL MY SISTER! So naturally, when I found that out, I had a very strong urge to … hit you. Why would you do that, Tigulaar? You were friends with Fabala! She really liked you! How do you think she's gonna feel when she finds out you wanna kill her? You-…"_

 _"_ _Shell! Buddy." Fiyero held up his free hand for silence. "I don't want to kill her. I just wanna find her, make sure she's safe. Joining the Gale Force is the only way I can safely do that. I'm gonna use my status to become captain, and lead the Gale Force on wild swan chases so they never find her. Honest, I'm not a bad guy, Shell! I know you've probably heard some colorful stuff about me, but I swear none of that's true anymore. And that's mostly because of Elphaba. Shell, you won't believe what an effect your sister's had on me."_

 _"_ _Oh Oz, you love her," Shell realized. "You're in love with my sister …"_

 _Fiyero only nodded in confirmation. "Hopelessly. Sweet Oz, I've never told anyone that."_

 _"_ _Not even Glinda?"_

 _"_ _No! Of course not! Do you think I want to get a high heel shoe thrown at my head? But yeah, I … love Elphaba, and I'm joining the Gale Force so I can find her and tell her that."_

 _"_ _That's crazy," Shell said. "But, I gotta admit, I've been thinking of ways to help Fabala ever since, you know, and your plan is better than anything I could come up with, so … I'm gonna join the Gale Force too, as soon as I turn eighteen. I got your back, Tigulaar."_

 _Fiyero grinned, relieved that Shell no longer wanted to fight him. "Thanks, man."_

 _"_ _I'll help you find her and lead the Gale Force away from her," Shell clarified. "As far as winning her over goes, that's totally your responsibility. I decided long ago that I wouldn't be a pimp for either of my sisters."_

 _"_ _Don't worry, not even your sister can resist this face." Fiyero pulled a ridiculous face, and Shell actually found himself laughing. "Shell, despite the fact that we met with you punching me in the nose, I have a feeling we're going to get along just great."_

 _And Shell couldn't help but agree._

"Are you sure you want to go to Center Munch?" Frex asked. "Nessie, it takes a full two hours to get there, so if you're going, you're going for the whole day."

"I know," Nessa said simply. "That's the whole point. I want an entire day of independence. Plus, I'm not grounded anymore! I want to take advantage of that."

Just then, Nanny came into the living room with two packed lunches for herself and Nessa. "You bet she does. This morning, she gave me a list of things she wants to do in the city. Let's just say, Nanny WILL get a good night's sleep tonight!" Frex instinctively made to grab the list sticking out of Nanny's apron pocket, but Nanny quickly jumped on top of a footstool and held the list high over her head. "Ah ah, Mr. Governor, this is Nessa's day. She gets to call the shots – without you hovering over her every single clock tick."

"I just want to make sure that everything's safe," Frex said, unsuccessfully trying to jump up to grab the list.

Nanny snorted. "Is that really how high you can jump, Frex?"

But suddenly, the list was forgotten as they heard the other two Thropp siblings arguing from all the way down the hall. "You just can't do that, Elphaba! That's academic dishonesty! Both you and Nessa could be expelled!"

"I'm not taking her finals for her! It's just one homework assignment that she could have done today if she wasn't going to Center Munch! Excuse me for trying to be a good sister!"

Elphaba and Shell's argument continued as they entered the living room. "Except you're not being a good sister," Shell pointed out. "You're being more like a coddling mother, and breaking the school honor code while doing so. But let's ask Nessa herself and see what she thinks. Nessa, would you like Elphaba to risk expulsion and do your math homework for you while you're in Center Munch?"

"Oh Oz, no," Nessa said, mildly appalled by the idea. "I can do it tonight when I get home. Fabala, how did you even get that idea? It's my legs that don't work, not my brain."

Shell turned to Elphaba with a smug smile. "Ha. I win."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Shut your corn hole, Shell."

"Well," Nanny started, grabbing onto Nessa's handlebars authoritatively. "On that note, we probably should be getting on our way. See you tonight, everyone."

"Goodbye, pet!"

"Have fun, Nessa!"

"I didn't get this when I went to visit Grandmother Partra for the summer!" Shell called out in the same tone of voice as Frex and Elphaba's goodbyes.

Almost as soon as the door closed, an eerie silence fell over the house. "Well, she's gone," Frex finally said hollowly. "This is the first time she's ever been away from me besides school. I don't know, kids, should we … do something?"

"Maybe we should," Shell mused. "After all, without Nessa, accessibility isn't an issue. What could we do if wheelchair access was of no concern?"

"I've never thought about that," Elphaba admitted. "I mean, I've heard what other families do, like rock climbing …"

"Hiking …"

"Sailing …"

"Snorkeling …"

"Handball …"

"Paintball!" Shell and Elphaba said together.

"Wait, did we just agree on something?" Shell asked incredulously. "We never agree!"

"Maybe because it's never been just the two of us," Elphaba said thoughtfully.

Shell looked up at Frex. "Father, can the three of us reach a consensus? Shall we paintball?"

Frex was torn. He was able to put most of his guilt about Nessa onto Elphaba, but a little bit could never leave him. He did not want to do an activity in which his younger daughter could not participate, but his second favorite child had suggested it, and he didn't have any better ideas, so he reluctantly said, "Sure, son. Paintball it is."

 **There you have it! Really sorry for the wait!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


	7. A Weekend with the Thropps (Part II)

**Hello, everyone! Here's Chapter VII!**

 **Sorry it's been, like, five months. I've had to deal with some stuff in my personal life, as well as, you know, college, but now I am back in the saddle!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

Around the time Frex and his two able bodied children arrived at the paintball field, Nessa and Nanny had just finished shopping at Oatsie's, the most popular clothing store in Center Munch. "Well, duckie," Nanny started, her voice a bit strained by all the boxes she was carrying. "In all the years I've worked for your father, I never took you for such a fashion enthusiast."

"I'm not," Nessa said. "I couldn't care less about who designed these dresses or what season they're from; I just think they look good on me. I'm going to be the first female governor of Munchkinland in quite a while, and unfortunately the attire of a female politician is a valid topic in the news."

"Well, why are you worrying about that now? You're not going to be governor for awhile. Let's see what's next on your list." Nanny pulled out Nessa's list from her pocket. "Ah! The Center Munch Zoo! Aren't you a little old for that, Nessie?"

Nessa laughed. "Zoos aren't just for children, Nanny! They're a great way to observe Ozian wildlife. Except don't mention this part of our day to Fabala. We'd have to sit through an hour long lecture about how there might be Animals in zoos!"

Meanwhile, at the paintball field, the other three Thropps had changed out of their street clothes and found out that they were up against a wealthy family from the Glikkus. As Elphaba was tying up her hair, she noticed Shell doing some target practice. She was surprised to see that most of his paintballs landed pretty close to the center. At seeing her amazed expression, Shell explained, "Father let me join him on his last hunting trip with some of his cabinet. I learned a few things."

Elphaba normally would have gotten on his case about hunting, but at the moment, she only said, "Wow. You're actually kind of awesome. That's interesting."  
"And you're actually being nice today," he countered. "I like it."

"Yeah, don't make it weird, Shell."

Just then Frex finally came out of the men's changing room. "Okay, kids," he started. "If we have to play this game, we're going to do it right. Thankfully, we seem pretty evenly matched with the Glikkuns: I think I can handle the husband and wife, Shell, their younger boy looks about your age, and Elphaba, I believe the older one is only a little older than you. Don't embarrass me, either of you."

A whistle signaled the start of the game, and Munchkinland's First Family grabbed their paintball guns and braced themselves.

Over at the zoo, Nanny and Nessa were looking at a pair of baby hyenas nursing from their mother. "That's obviously a boy and a girl," Nessa observed. "When hyena cubs are the same sex, they fight for milk constantly until one either submits or dies of malnutrition. But in this case, the male cub always submits to the female. It's a matriarchal society."

"How in Oz do you know all that, Nessa?" Nanny asked.

Nessa shrugged. "I like Vinkun animals. They fascinate me. That's one way I may have been influenced by Fabala. Did you know that there are only about 3000 wild lions left in the Vinkus? And it's mostly because of human encroachment. I think when I'm governor, I might talk with King Marillot about wildlife conservation. Hopefully he'll still be king when I become governor; I would hate to have to talk to his son about this. Didn't he just get kicked out of yet another boarding school?"

"Yes, I heard that his parents are doubtful he's going to get into a university, poor things. Alright, Nessie, are you done looking at these dogs?"

"They're not dogs! They're spotted hyenas, and they're much more intelligent than dogs! They're actually on par with some primates. Hyenas are so misunderstood."

"You're right about that, miss," a nearby zoo worker said. "You obviously know your hyenas."  
Nessa nodded and smiled. "I do, sir. I love them."

Recognition suddenly flickered in the zoo worker's eyes. "Oh my Oz! You're Nessarose Thropp! And you're visiting our zoo. This is huge! Well, hi, I'm Kiveen, and I mainly take care of these hyenas here as well as the lions next door. We have about twenty lions and forty hyenas here-…"

"But no Lions or Hyenas, right?" Nessa interrupted.

Kiveen looked horrified. "No, of course not! No, we give intelligence tests to all the animals we get so we can be sure they're not Animals."

"Good. I may actually convince my sister to come here now."

"Miss Thropp, would you like to hold a hyena cub?" Kiveen asked.

Nessa was taken aback. "Well yes, but would the mother allow that?"

"Oh yeah, that's Bonga," Kiveen answered. "I've known her since she was a cub herself; she trusts me completely." Nessa and Nanny watched open mouthed as Kiveen went into the enclosure and right up to the mother hyena as if she were his pet dog. "Hello, Bonga! Hello, my girl! How are your cubs today? Could I hold one for just a clock tick? Thank you, my girlie." Kiveen picked up one of the cubs, gave Bonga a pat on the head, and exited the enclosure. "Here you go, Miss Thropp, a male hyena cub. His name's Tiko." Kiveen set Tiko down in Nessa's lap.

"Aww!" Nessa cooed. "He's so precious! How old is he?"

"He and his sister Aja are just two weeks old."

"Master Kiveen, may I ask how you managed to go into that enclosure without getting mauled to death?" Nanny asked.

"It's all about trust," Kiveen explained. "Bonga and I go way back; she trusts me and she knows I'm dominant over her. She's never even tried to hurt me."

"That's amazifying, Master Kiveen," Nessa said, scratching Tiko behind the ear. "I promise, this zoo will get its share of government money when I'm governor."

But back at the paintball field, the current governor of Munchkinland was feeling quite powerless. The husband and wife from the Glikkus were in a heated battle with him, while Elphaba, Shell, and the Glikkun boys were nowhere to be seen. Another paintball from the husband barely missed Frex, so as he returned fire, he yelled, "Missed me again, sir! What's in the Glikkus anyway, besides rocks and desert? Munchkinland is the corn basket of Oz! Take that!" He knew trash talking was a little juvenile, but after all, Frex hadn't played a game like this since he was a teenager.

"We have the Glikkun River," the wife shot back, before literally shooting back. The paintball grazed Frex's shoulder.

"Wow! You two would be useless in my army! Can either of you actually shoot straight?"

"Yeah well, I bet our boys are absolutely killing your beanpole daughter and your shrimp son," the husband retorted.

"Don't call my son a shrimp! And I bet my children are smarter than both your boys combined!" Frex then shot five paintballs at the couple, causing them to retreat behind a tree.

On the other side of the paintball field, Elphaba and Shell were in an equally heated battle with the Glikkun boys, protecting themselves with an artificial rock formation. "Woo!" Shell exclaimed as his paintball fire caused the older boy to back up a little bit. "I love shooting people with you!"

"I love everything about you!" Elphaba yelled over the Glikkun boys' shouts and paintballs. But just then, the Glikkun boys ran behind the two Thropp siblings, and without thinking, Shell grabbed his sister's hand and rushed out from behind the rock, and then started backing away from the boys, exchanged fire with them the whole time.

"Fabala!" Shell shouted. "Run to Father so they'll only have one person to shoot! I'll be there in a clock tick!"

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. You just run!" So Elphaba ran.

 _Elphaba ran through the Gilikin Forest, worried that flying would only alert the nearby Gale Forcers to her exact location. If she could only lose them, she could have easily mounted her broom and left the Gilikin Forest within the hour, but that was not possible at the moment. But she failed to notice a prominent tree root in her path, and she fell forward, landing on her hands and knees, thankfully. A voice called out to her._

 _"Whoa, Fabala! Are you okay? Let me help you up." Strong hands grabbed hers, and when she was pulled up, Elphaba found herself looking at her baby brother, now all grown up and dressed in a Gale Force uniform._

 _"No, Shell," she moaned. "Shell, not you too."_

 _"Oh, don't worry, Fabala," Shell said. "I'm not here to handcuff you. I'm just going to tell my friends that you went that way …" He pointed toward where she had been running from. "And I'm going to tell Fiyero that you're alright because we've both been worrying."_

 _"Fiyero … What?"_

 _"Yeah! This was all his idea! To join the Gale Force so we could safely look for you and make sure you're okay! Isn't it brilliant?"_

 _"That's … actually not a bad plan." Elphaba smiled in a way that made Shell think,_ Oz, she likes him too. This is insane! _"You tell Fiyero I said that. And thank you, Shell, for doing this."_

 _Shell nodded. "I've got you, big sis."_

Elphaba ran towards Frex. "Father! The Glikkun boys snuck up behind us! Shell's trying to fight them off. Here, I'll help you with the parents." Frex gave a curt nod, and father and daughter stood back to back to protect each other.

"I'm coming!" they heard Shell say, and then they saw him running up to them with the Glikkun boys close behind him. Shell practically anchored himself to Elphaba and Frex's sides, and the three Thropps kept firing until the Glikkun parents and the younger boy had enough paintballs on them that they were "dead."

But the older of the Glikkun boys was still in the game, and Elphaba didn't notice that he was aiming directly at her until it was a second too late. She tried to fire to block him, but, "My gun's jammed! Father! Shell!"

Shell acted quickly and fired at just the right time, causing his paintball to collide with the Glikkun boy's. Both paintballs lost their momentum and fell to the ground. Shell then fired in rapid succession at the Glikkun boy until he "died." The game was over, and the First Family of Munchkinland was victorious. Shell turned to Elphaba with a smile. "I've got you, big sis."

She put her arm around him. "Thanks, Shell. You saved my ass." Then, to Shell's surprise, Elphaba pulled him into a hug.

"So, Father," Shell started as he pulled away from his sister. "How was it doing a wheelchair inaccessible activity?"

Frex looked at his son thoughtfully. Despite himself, he had had a good time. "You know what, you two? Let's go to Ugaini's for dinner. Because of their steps, I haven't been there in fourteen years."

By the time Frex, Elphaba, and Shell got home from dinner, Nanny and Nessa were waiting for them in the living room. "Ah, they're finally home," Nanny observed.

Frex immediately went over to Nessa and gave her a hug and a kiss. "Hello, pet! I've missed you all day!"

"Yeah, we didn't do anything fun," Elphaba said.

"At no point was I having a good time," Shell added. "I'm sure your day was much more interesting than ours. What did you do?"

"I cuddled a hyena cub," Nessa answered matter of factly.

"Wait, really?" Elphaba asked, suddenly realizing what that meant. "You went to the Center Munch Zoo! Nessa! What have I told you about that? Zoos keep Animals too, you know, they just don't tell you that …" As she predicted, Nessa had to listen to her sister rant for a full hour.

As Elphaba was heading to bed that night, she passed the bathroom that she shared with her siblings. There was no door on this bathroom, as the door was very old and getting repaired, but Elphaba noticed a sign on the doorsill that read: **BATHROOM IN USE, PLEASE RESPECT THE INVISIBLE LOCK**. She smirked as she realized just who had put that sign up. She casually strolled into the bathroom. "Please come back later!" Shell said from behind the shower curtain. "Did you not see the sign?"

"I did," Elphaba replied. "And it all came rushing back."

"What did?"

"How much I love torturing you." With a swift motion, Elphaba flushed the toilet, causing the water in the shower to go cold and Shell to scream in a manner that Elphaba found hysterical.

"I thought we were a team!" Shell shouted angrily, his voice breaking.

"We were. It was great. But this just seemed easier. Sorry, Shell. We'll always have paintball." She flushed the toilet again before leaving the bathroom. Shell screamed as the cold water hit him and he heard his sister's cackling laughter from down the hallway.

 **There you have it!**

 **Thanks for reading! It's good to be back!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


End file.
